[2009-05-17]
Entry 144

Over 2 months we finished filming "Zatoichi The Last" without any problems.

The filming of my scenes would probably happen in intervals as usual, but I still always had to keep thinking like Tane in my head and there also was a huge factor of anxiety about whether I would be able to convey the deep love between Ichi and Tane during the scenes.
However, at the rehearsal one day before the start of filming, when I met Ichi for the first time and had the chance to speak with the director, my feelings all swelled up and I actually completely lost that anxiety I had until then.
Also, there was no other work that overlapped the filming, so I was able to fully concentrate on this movie only and I got completely immersed into Tane's feelings.



I can totally empathy with the thoughts and feelings of Tane and Ichi, up until now I've never felt such a sadness and such a love, so much that in one scene I was completely shivering myself and couldn't be at ease at all anymore.

First of all my deepest gratitude from the bottom of my heart to the director for allowing me to experience such deep feelings and for handling everything with such a great care; and also to all the other cast and people from the staff.



This time Sakamoto (the director) and his team didn't use any monitors. Therefore I won't be able to check my own play until they are done with the cutting. I didn't know at all how I should approach the different angles or what kind of facial expressions I should make during the different light settings. The only people who knew what and how they wanted the scenes were the director right beside the camera and the cameraman himself.

That's why basically the only people you could see at the set of Zatoichi have been the actors and nobody else. The director looked at us through no filters at all and gave as an OK or not, and we also had to completely trust the make-up artist who constantly checked out skin from the position of the camera. There haven't been any interruptions at all and I think that's exactly why I didn't even have the chance to think about anything else than Ichi.



I won't be able to see my real image until the finished product.
My anticipation is quite high now.
From the bottom of my heart I'm praying,
that it will get finished without problems and
that everyone's effort will be properly transported through the movie ☆



Director Sakamoto! Katori-san! and the whole cast and staff,
everyone did a really great job during the filming!
I think I can be pride about being able to appear in "Zatoichi The Last" now.
I'm looking forward to the day, when we might be able to work together again and every day I'll devote myself to work in order for you to meet a much more grown up me.
Thank you very much.

Ishihara Satomi

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Written by: jyoyu.blogspot.com
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